Online photo sharing

As a new member of this forum and a rank novice in the arcane arts of photography and retouching, I am cautiously entering the online display arena for a few of my images. I have noted that many, if not most, serious amateur photographers use PBase for display. Although PBase is not free as some others are, it seems to attract a higher level of photographic expertise, with notable exceptions.

The question then is, although the annual fee for storage space on PBase is certainly reasonable, why is PBase so much more successful at attracting good photographic talent, and why do so many artists choose to pay for a PBase folder when others are free? It's almost like a status symbol. Am I missing something